Book Review of The Grouchy Ladybug

Not only does the bad-tempered protagonist ask once -- he tries to pick a fight with every single character in the book! Only to get smacked around by a whale at the end.

Perhaps it "invites children to explore the concepts of time, size, shape, and manners" as advertized on the back cover...I think the more poignant lesson is that the biggest guy wins. It's disappointing to see author Eric Carle's award-winning investment in a book with such an unpleasant tone.

The book appears to be written for a 3-6 year old audience (in my opinion), but it's one children's story that we won't be keeping on our shelf.